DE102009050559A1 - Signal producing method for motor vehicle, involves simulating vehicle components by signals of controller for outputting texture changes of driving surface, and producing warning information detectable by vehicle occupants using components - Google Patents

Abstract

The method involves detecting dangerous spots at a driving path of a vehicle by evaluating units during driving of the vehicle, and supplying corresponding signals to a controller, where the dangerous spots require reduced speed. A set of vehicle components is simulated by the signals for outputting texture changes of a driving surface, and warning information tactically detectable by occupants of the vehicle is produced using the components. The warning information is changed depending on distance to the dangerous spots.

Description

The invention relates to a method for generating a signal in a vehicle for the attention of a vehicle occupant, preferably by the driver, in dependence on driving parameters.

When driving a motor vehicle, dangerous situations can arise for both the vehicle occupants and for those outside the vehicle if there are danger spots on the traveled route which require a reduced driving speed.

The object of the invention is therefore to provide a method of the type mentioned above, which avoids hazards to the vehicle occupants and / or persons located outside the vehicle due to excessive driving speed in road safety critical road sections in a simple manner.

This object is achieved in that detected by one or more detection units approaching during a driving, a reduced driving speed requiring danger spots on the traveled route and corresponding signals are fed to a control unit, by the one or more vehicle components to the output of texture changes of the road surface be simulated, tactile detectable by the vehicle occupant warning information can be controlled.

By this method, vehicle occupants, in particular the driver when approaching to a traffic-critical road section receive a tactile detectable warning information and can reduce the driving speed of his vehicle in good time before reaching this road section.

However, it is not intervened in a safety-relevant manner in the driving.

If the tactile detectable warning information is a simulation of the driving over of bumps and / or ramps and / or sills and / or Cologne plates, then these are the driver known by him tactile detectable information that does not lead to a panic reaction of the driver.

Already contained in the vehicle components can be used to generate the tactile detectable warning information when the controlled vehicle components are one or more shock absorbers of the vehicle whose damping characteristics are electrically and / or mechanically changed temporarily and / or that the controlled vehicle component is a steering wheel of the vehicle to which one or more vibration moments are modulated and / or that the controlled vehicle component is a reversible electric belt tensioner, which is actuated to a single or multiple tightening and / or that the controlled vehicle component is an active accelerator pedal, which temporarily with a back pressure against the Foot load of the driver is driven and / or that the controlled vehicle component is one or more brakes of the vehicle, which are controlled to a single or multiple brakes.

The tactile signal can be effected in that the shock absorber or the one or more times briefly off and retracted.

These designs require no or no significant additional space.

The tactile detectable signals may vary depending on the distance to the danger site.

This can be z. B. take place in that upon reaching certain distances shorter distance to the danger point in each case an intensification of the tactile detectable signal takes place.

To determine the approach to a danger point of the control unit position signals of the respective position of the vehicle can be supplied by a navigation unit and compared with stored position data of permanent danger points and / or position data of detected temporary danger spots, wherein when approaching the danger point to a certain distance the Output of tactile detectable information is driven.

The location data of city entrances and / or schools and / or kindergartens and / or toll stations and / or permanent speed restrictions and / or driving restrictions and / or intersections and / or gradients may be stored as permanent danger spots in the vehicle and / or detected by a detection device and / / or wirelessly.

In this case, the permanent danger points are preferably stored in a data memory of the navigation unit.

Temporary danger spots may be temporary speed limits and / or detected obstacles and / or jam ends and / or construction site starts detected by a detection device and / or transmitted wirelessly.

In this case, the detection device may be a camera-based recognition system for traffic signs and / or a radar-based obstacle detection system.

Another way to capture danger point data is to have the wireless communication from an Internet service.

To reinforce the warning, acoustic and / or visual warning information can be generated both independently of the tactile warning information or in addition to the tactile warning information as a function of the approaching danger points.

To announce a danger point, the audible and / or visual warning information may be output a certain amount of time prior to the issuance of tactile detectable warning information.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawing and described in more detail below. The sole figure of the drawing shows a flow chart of a method for generating warning information including tactile detectable warning information.

After a start 1 of the system can be in vehicle standstill 2 the user can configure the system according to the type of warning information and the hazard areas to be considered 3 ,

The type of warning information is called general system behavior 4 configured and the hazard areas to be considered as situations 10 in which the tactile detectable warning information is to be activated.

There are five options for system behavior.

At the first choice 5 An automatic, graded warning management is configured depending on the criticality of the driving situation.

In this case, first a visual warning information, then additionally an audible warning information and then additionally a tactile detectable warning information.

At the second warning possibility 6 should only a visual z. B. by means of a warning light or display on a display and the third warning option 7 only an acoustic warning information z. B. be configured by means of a warning sound.

In the fourth option, the system should warn only by means of tactile detectable warning information. This can be z. B. by means of a belt tensioner by an active accelerator pedal or by a slight braking.

The fifth choice 9 allows the user to completely shut down the system so that no warning information is given.

As situations 10 in which the tactile detectable warning information is to be activated, one permanent and one temporary danger point can be configured.

Permanent danger spots are a first warning situation 11 at automatically all the danger points known to the system, a second warning situation 12 only at local crossings, a third warning situation 13 only at schools, a fourth warning situation 14 at all speed limits, a fifth warning situation 15 at complex intersections and a sixth warning situation 16 on steep slopes.

As a temporary hazard can be considered a seventh warning situation 17 Obstacles, as the eighth warning situation 18 Congested and as the ninth warning situation 19 Construction sites are configured, these temporary danger spots are detectable by appropriate detection systems or wirelessly transmitted from an Internet service.

This configuration of the system takes place during vehicle standstill.

Afterwards the system works while driving 20 as follows.

When the vehicle approaches a danger point 21 still at a great distance from z. B. more than ten seconds driving distance, this is detected and at a distance of z. B. 500 m to the danger point in a first warning level 22 by a visual warning by means of a text displayed on a display and a displayed icon.

If the vehicle has approached the danger spot up to a distance of 200 m, a second warning level is activated 23 both the visual warning and in addition an audible warning issued by a gong.

The approach to 100 m to the danger spot then triggers in a third warning level 24 in addition to the visual and audible warning yet tactile detectable warning information, in the z. B. a driving of the brakes to a particular repeated slight braking of the vehicle takes place.

Upon reaching the danger point is the end 25 the warning information reached.

Claims (13)

A method for generating a signal in a vehicle for the consideration of a vehicle occupant, preferably by the driver, in dependence on driving parameters, characterized in that by one or more detection units approaching during a driving operation, a reduced driving speed requiring danger spots detected on the traveled route and corresponding signals are fed to a control unit, by which one or more vehicle components to the output of texture changes of the road surface are simulated, tactile detectable by the vehicle occupant warning information can be controlled. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the tactile detectable warning information is a simulation of the crossing of bumps and / or ramps and / or sills and / or Cologne plates. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the controlled vehicle components are one or more shock absorbers of the vehicle whose damping characteristics are electrically and / or mechanically changed temporarily and / or that the controlled vehicle component is a steering wheel of the vehicle, to which one or more Be modulated vibration moments and / or that the controlled vehicle component is a reversible electric belt tensioner, which is driven to a single or multiple tightening and / or that the controlled vehicle component is an active accelerator pedal is temporarily controlled with a back pressure against the foot load of the driver and / or that the controlled vehicle component is one or more brakes of the vehicle, which are controlled to a single or multiple brakes. A method according to claim 3, characterized in that the shock absorber or one or more times at short notice and retracted. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tactile detectable signals are variable as a function of the distance to the danger point. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control unit position signals of the respective position of the vehicle supplied by a navigation unit and compared with stored position data of permanent danger points and / or with position data of detected temporary danger spots, wherein when approaching the danger spot on a certain distance the output of tactile detectable information is controlled. A method according to claim 6, characterized in that the position data of local entrances and / or schools and / or kindergartens and / or toll stations and / or permanent speed limits and / or driving restrictions and / or intersections and / or gradients are stored as permanent danger spots in the vehicle and / detected by a detection device and / or transmitted wirelessly. A method according to claim 7, characterized in that the permanent danger points are stored in a data memory of the navigation unit. A method according to claim 6, characterized in that the temporary danger spots are temporary speed limits and / or detected obstacles and / or jam ends and / or construction site starts, which are detected by a detection device and / or transmitted wirelessly. Method according to one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that the detection means is a camera-based recognition system for traffic signs and / or a radar-based obstacle detection system. Method according to one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that the wireless transmission is carried out by an Internet service. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that acoustic and / or visual warning information is generated depending on the approaching danger points. A method according to claim 12, characterized in that the acoustic and / or visual warning information is output in a certain time interval before the output of the tactile detectable warning information.

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